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What Does It Mean to Redefine Girly?

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It’s time we change the way we think about our girls and boys.

Here is a question I found myself pondering before my daughter could walk:

Why in the world is my generation – the most educated, most well-traveled, most worldly generation of women ever – still raising our girls to wish upon a star in the hopes that their prince may someday come? Why aren’t we teaching our girls to get into their rocket ships and find that star all on their own?

I’m posing a challenge: Maybe we don’t need to raise our daughters amid the pink and purple wave of stereotyped, sexed-up princesses and dolls that are spiraling toward us. Maybe we could raise them to be smart, independent, strong, and daring. Maybe we could incorporate every color of the rainbow into their worlds, and not limit them to pink. Together, let’s redefine what it means to be a little girl growing up in today’s sometimes crazy world.

Girls need to see messages during early childhood that show females that are smart, daring, and adventurous. As the saying goes, “You can’t be what you can’t see.”

You don’t have to be anti-pink. You don’t have to be anti-princess. You definitely don’t have to be anti-girly.

BE ANTI-LIMITATION.

I want my daughter to be bold. I want her to be unafraid to be intelligent. I want her to be respected for her accomplishments. She will not be raised to think that the world belongs only to boys and that she is merely a pretty thing in it.

I think our children deserve more. I think they deserve better. I think it is time to redefine girly and reclaim boyhood.

“Redefining girly” means asking for the room for our girls to define for themselves who they will be in this world. “Reclaiming boyhood” means demanding the space for our sons to become thoughtful, intelligent men who respect others.

My book, Redefining Girly, shows how you can help empower children – especially our little girls – so they can dream in any color, with no limits to where their hearts and imagination take them.

Join me in making a promise to never limit our little girls from dreaming nor desire for adventure. Join the movement to redefine girly.